Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1887-05-14


all the compOsure and opioBsb OF young mar
who felt himself TO be In the right place In crea
se e eyes: he looked back at her ex
exactly as II she was part OF the landscape, and
worked steadily on In silence.
care you an artist 2" said She care you paint
ing the old chestnut-tree? oh, you must be the
gentleman that Docia Honeywell told me about.
And then she suddenly remembered the tangled
fringe of curlS. the round, uncovered arms, and
jumped up in panic OF very becoming confu
sion.
81 am Mark Je1erys > said the artist, compos
edly. "Yes, am boarding at Squire Honeywellf
house. And your"
II am Roxy stephens" said the girl, hurriedly
pulling down her calico sleeves. "If you will just
step up TO the house Will give you jar OF wild
plumS that promised TO Docia; that is with ar
abrupt consciousness OF her own temerty), 'Tf you
don't mind carrying it."
And this was the manner OF their first acquaint.
ance.
Roxy was very sorry when Mr. Jenerys returned
yawning hiatus In her life, which had not pre-
vouSly been eventful or rich in incident. But she
did not know how more than sorry Mark Je1erys
was to part from her.
"'Full many flower is born to blush unseen"
he quoted to himself, after the hackneyed style
of the young man in general when the little
winged god has him at a disadvantage. "But she
shall not blush unseen IL my pictures in this
years exhibition bring their price. She shall be
my wlie-alWays supposing that she considers
will wear her like a flower on my heart. ]
think-yes, think she likes me little now.
i i
make her like me just q little more
And so now and then he ventured to write to
her, lest by any chance she might forget that such
Now in real life things will sometimes happen
as strangely as they do in novels. Every one
knows this. And 1t came to pass that In the mid
April time when the skies above and viOletS be-
low are blue with blueness that no description
can equal, Docia Honeywell came up to New York
to buy herself silk dress and asked Roxanna
stephens TO accompany her.
81 never like to trust entirely to my own taste. "
said Docia; land you have such excellent ideas of
color, Roxy"
When the dress was duly settled upon-one of
those delicious olives which, like the hair of the
poets heroine, was
Brown in the shadow, and gold in the sum
there was yet good hour and a half to spare be-
fore the train went
sOh do let us go to the Academy OF Design ~
said Roxy; 'ft can't be far. And l think 1t would
rest my eyes to look at some pictures"
1t was fine sunshiny, breezy afternoon, and all
broad marble steps, looking around at the giant
palms, and the caOutchouc leaves, and the mon
as If il had been vanished. Beyond glowed the
pictures, outlined In gold, full Of vivid lights and
deep mysterious shadows. A little crowd had col
lected before one particular canvas, and following
the usual impulse or human nature, DOcia and
Roxy left the other pctures-possibly possessed of
equal merit-unsurveyed. and Joined the f1utter-
Ing, perfumed Knot OF gaZerS.
''The picture OF the season." she heard some one
saying In the soft distinct tones that denote your
society oracle; ".La JOle Blanchis.euse.' Would
you believe that that little square OF canvas has
been sold for thousand dollars? It's charming
~ painted th1ng-0h, OF course-but, after all,
what is there to it?'
SIT is the sentiment, the tone!" answered wise
critic who was penciling down notes for an art
paragraph In the next days Spiinr. ''In this age
coed and what isn't. The public pulse don't bear
feeling as tt used"
Little Roxy, In her plain brown gown and the
poke hat of rough-and ready straw, with the loops
OF cherry ribbon which she herself had sewn on,
stood on tiptoe to peep over the shoulder Of the
tall lady in front OF her at the picture.
"Ah, DOc1aI' she cried, starting back, as she
caught glimpse Of 1t, with the strange sensation
Of one who looks into mirror, 81 have seen
In the foreground crystal-clear brook gurgled
away under fringe OF luXuriant crosses; In the
middle distance there was the green mystery OF
chestnut shadows on the grass and young girl
asleep, with bare white arms and Sun-bOnneu fall
en- down her neck, while an open book lay on the
ground. red-winged blackbird balanced itself
on bush at her right, and In the background a
line fun OF futtering clothes seemed to Come and
go at the signal OF the wind. One could almost
hear the murmur OF the brook, almost see the still
OF the tall grasses in the yellow mist Of the noon
sure, but it Is the simple pictures that speak to
peoples hearts nowadays
she said "and that Is the very chestnut tree with
the hollow heart that blew down In the equinOc-
tial gale last March. Have you found the number
IN the catalogue? VINO painted 1t? All, though,
so-Mark JefIerys-"
Roxy turned around with curious thrill, hall
of pride, half anger, in her heart, and saw tai
figure coming toward them from the monster
palms that guarded the stairway bey0nd-Marl
Jef1erys himself
''YOu have seen the picture, Roxy?n he said
I" la JOlie Blanchtsseuse? DEMONSTRATING hel
away from the crowd into the cool green shadow
of the giant ferns and the caOutchouc trees-s.my
fortune Is made, and all through you and was
coming tomorrow to lay 1t at your feet
1t was strange place for young man to SPEAK
out his heart In; but Mark Jenerys was like
no other man, and Roxy had certain individual
ity of her own. And was then the lover and D
the tender little f1utter1ng maiden heart, and
what should 1t equal but S-the old, old story OF
human happiness, that repeats itself anew fol
every generation? Was IL not as plain as any OF
the algebra1c equations In ROxy'S books at school?